Key holder support



Jan. 7, 1947. R, HAWES 2,414,041

KEY HOLDER SUPPORT Filed ot. 9, 1945 INVENTOR 650/965 if. Han/6 Patented Jan. 7, 1947 KEY HOLDER SUPPORT George It. Hawes, Longmeadow, Mass., assignor to Buxton,

Incorporated, Springfield, Mass., a

corporation of Massachusetts Application October 9, 1943, Serial No. 505,677

7 Claims.

This invention relates to particularly to an improved key holder support by means of which the individual key'holders are releasably attached to the. case and supported therein for swinging movement in andi out of the case in the use of the keys.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which combines lightness and strength with the needed security in the relea'sable. attachment of `the key holders: to the support.

A further object is the provision of an improved key holder and keyv holder support combination.

Another object is to provide a, construction which may be die cast or molded, making available various thermo-plastic and heat settingcompositions, as well as metals and alloys, for its construction;

Other andfurther objects residing in the form of the parts andv theA details of construction will become apparent from the following specification and claims..

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig.` 1. is a. front elevation of a key port,` embodying my. invention, mounted in a case,. the latter being open;

Fig;y 2 is a sectional View substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

key cases and more i holder sup- Fig. 3 is a sectional view substantially on linev 30 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view substantially ony line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary isometric view of the support;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 2 but showing thev parts in releasing position;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but with parts broken away to better show the springs;

Figs. 9 and 10 are fragmentary isometric views similar to Fig. 6, but respectively showing two alternative forms of chambers;

Fig. 11 is an isometric view of a key holder construction which has-a; special' utility in combiration with the supporting structure of this invention, the key holder being shown closed.; and' Fig. 12 is a View of the key holder of Fig. 11 opened for the application or removal of a key.

It will be understood that the drawing is not to. scale and the proportionate thickness of someV ofy thepartsand thawidth of the chambers haver 5,55

been. somewhat exaggerated in the interest of clearness.

Referring to the drawing, a key holder support, generally indicated at I 0, constructed according to the invention, is shown in Fig. 1 secured in a case II which case may bev of any usual or desired form.

In general the key holder support I0 is made up of an aligned series of cells or chambers I2 separated from each other by Walls I3 in which chambers the heads I4 of the key holders I5, later more fully described, are individually and releasably coniined. The support extends down- Wardly from the chambers I2 in the form of a plate portion I6 by Which the support isv riveted or otherwise secured to the case II as at I'I.

The frontY and ceiling walls of the chambers I2 are formed with slots I8 in which the shanks of the key holders slide as the holders are swung to and from the case. Each chamber is open at the rear as indicated at. I9, and the slots I8 open at one end to these rear, or exit, openings I`9. The walls I3 completely separate the chambers I2 from ea'ch other and segregate the heads IlI ofthe key holders.

The width of slots I 8 is less than the transverse dimensionV of the heads of the keyv holders so that the holders` are held on the support at all points of movement of the holders in their slots; The dimensions of the exit openings I 9 are such as to permit escape of the heads I 4 from the chambers but such escape is normally prevented by shiftable means which in one position obstructs` the openings I9 of each of the chambers. As shown, the exit obstructing means comprises a cylindrical member 20 extending through the several aligned chambers I2 and journal'ed in the partition walls I3 and the end walls 2|'. Intermediate the portions 22 of' the cylinder ZIJ which engage in the bearing openings in the chamber walls, the cylinder is cut away as shown atA 23. The diameter of cylindrical member 2U and the depth of cuts 23 are such that when the cylinder is rotated in its bearings to 5 position a substantial ory major portion of the diameter of' the cylinder across the exit openings I2 as in Figs. 2 to 6, the heads of the key holders cannot pass through the exits but when rotated to a position to present the cuts ora substantial portion thereof across the exits as shown in Fig.

2, the heads may be passed through the exits, as indicatedin thelatter gure.

The cylindrical retaining member 2] is' pro-V vided at' one` end, outwardlyv of one, of the. end

walls: 2.1 withan operating lever 25. A suitable spring 26 is provided to normally hold the member 2D in position to prevent escape of the heads through the exits I9. As shown, the outer face of the end wall 2l adjacent the lever 25 is cut away to form a segmental depression 21, providing shoulders 28 and 29 forming stops engaged by the lever 25 at the extremes of the closed and open positions respectively of the cylinder 20.

A spring 26 is anchored at one end in the member 20 as indicated at 3l) in Fig. 8. the other end riding in a generally radial undercut groove 3l formed in the end wall 2| between the shoulders 28 and 29. The undercutting of groove 3| in which the spring engages holds the cylinder 20 against axial movement.

In Figs. 2 to 6, the cylindrical member 2 0 is shown as having bearings only in the walls I2 and ZI. If desired the member 2E] may be provided with a semi-cylindrical bearing 35 across the floors of the chambers I2 as shown in Fig. 9, thus providing greater resistance againstoutward thrust of the key holder heads when the member 20 is in position to prevent removal of the key holders. In this arrangement too, the surface of portions 23 will lie substantially hush with the floor of the chambers I2 when the member 2l] is rotated to chamber opening position, thus facilitat-ing the removal of the key holders,

In both forms so far described the ceilings of the chambers are thickened slightly adjacent the open ends of the slots I8 as at 36, providing reenforcement at this point and forming arcuate seats as at 3'! in which the heads of the key holders tend to seat when the holders are swung outwardly and upwardly from the case for manipulation of the keys in a lock. In both these forms the rear face of the aligned chambers is inclined away from the case II to provide a space, indicated at 38 to facilitate passage of the key holder heads in removing them from or inserting them in the chambers I2.

In Fig. 10, another alternative form is shown in which the rear faces of the chamber partitions and end walls extend flush with the rear surface of plate portion I6 as at 40 and 4I respectively. The chambers I2 in the form of Fig. 10, are of more regular shape and incline slightly upwardly from the rear. The key holder heads thus tend to engage the upper rounded end of the chambers when the key holders are swung from the case in use. The locking cylinder 20 and its associated parts may be identical with those previously described. 'Ihe form shown in Fig. 10 operates otherwise in the same manner as the forms previously described, but the casting dies or molds required in its construction may be somewhat simplified.

The cellular or chambered form of the support is important. The partition walls not only prevent interference of the several key holders with each other but provide reenforcement to the parts adjacent the slots which are under strain during manipulation of the keys on the holders, thus permitting those part-s to be relatively thin even when made of thermo or heat setting plastics, or when die cast from light metals or alloys. The partitions also make it possible to provide a plurality of bearing surfaces for the locking member.

While thekey supporting structure so far described provides the mentioned advantages when used with any desired or conventional form of headed key holder, further advantageous results are secured when it is used in combination with the novel key holder one embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawing and best shown in through an angle of at least 180 relative to the head I4, so that when the head is connected to the support I a key carried by the loop may be turned and manipulated in a lock. The ends of the length 46 may be anchored to the head by molding or casting the ends thereof into the material of the head or in any suitable manner A key may be secured to the holder, when the latter is removed from the key case support, by passing the end of the loop through the opening in the key and then passing the head I4 through the extending end of the loop, but preferably the head I4 is divided into two parts, the ends of the length 46 being anchored one to each part so that the key may be threaded on the loop as shown in Fig. l. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12 the head I4 is divided lengthwise into separable halves or parts 49 and 56. Each half is provided with a dowel 5I which nts into a corresponding hole 52 in the other half when the halves are joined together. The dowels fit suiciently tightly in their holes so that some degree of force is necessary to separate or assemble the halves.

The length of the cylinder is preferably only slightly less than the distance between the chamber forming partitions I3 oi the support I0, the difference being only enough to permit the cylinder to rotate freely when it is placed in one of the chambers. Partitions I3 thus serve as means to keep the shank portion of the loop 4I centered in its slot I8 as it travels therealong when the lead is rotated in swinging the key and loop inwardly and outwardly of the case. Abrasive contact of the shank portion of the loop with the edges of the slot is thereby prevented or minimized.

The loop may be made from any material having suiiicient flexibility, strength and wear resistance for the purpose. A cord of braided or twisted nylon or similar plastic filament; piano wire or a line, braided wire; a length of raw-hide; or a cotton or linen cord impregnated with a flexible plastic may be used. The head I4 may be made of the same materials suggested as suitable for the support I.

The use of the iiexible loop key holder permits the keys to adjust themselves more easily in the key case than do the rigid key holders heretofore used and their use reduces the bulk of the key case as a whole. Furthermore, when the key and holder are temporarily detached from the case, for separate use of the key, the decreased bulk and flexibility of the holder has obvious advantages as when the key and its holder are placed in a pocket or purse.

What I claim is:

1. A key supporting device for key cases which comprises, a key holder having an enlarged head and a key carrying loop of flexible material extending therefrom, said loop being sufficiently iiexible to permit a key carried thereby tobe rotatedat least about the majoraxis of the loop, a support for said key holder in which said head is rotatably mounted, a slot in the support through which said flexible loop extends andY along which the shank of the loop may travelwhen the head is rotated in its support, means to maintain the shank of the loop substantially centered in the slot, and means for releasing the head from the support.

2. A key supporting device for key cases which comprises, a plurality of key holders each having an enlarged head and a key carrying loop of ilexible material extending therefrom, said loops being suciently ilexible to permit a key carried thereby to be rotated at least 180 about the major axis of the loop, a support in which said heads are individually mounted for independent rotation, a plurality of slots in the support, one adjacent each head` through which the ilexible loop of the adjacent head extends and along which the shank of said loop may travel when its head is rotated in the support, means to maintain the Shanks of the loops substantially centered in their respective slots and means for releasing the heads from the support.

3. A key supporting device for key cases which comprises, a plurality of key holders each having a substantially cylindrical head and a key carrying loop of flexible material extending therefrom, said loops being suiliciently flexible to permit a key carried thereby to be rotated at least 180 about the major axis of the loop, a support in which said heads are individually mounted for independent rotation, a plurality of slots in the support, one adjacent each head, through which the flexible loop of the adjacent head extends and along which the shank of said loop may travel when its head is rotated in the support, means engaging the ends of the several cylindrical heads to maintain the Shanks of the loops substantially centered in their respective slots and means for releasing the cylindrical heads from the support.

ll. A key holder for key cases which comprises a head formed of rigid material, and a length of flexible material having its end portions rigidly connected to said head in close parallel proximity to each other to form an elongated loop, the material of which the loop is formed being sufciently flexible to permit the loop to be twisted about its major axis through an angle of at least relative to the head.

5. A key holder for key cases which comprises a head formed of rigid material, said head being divided into two parts separable from each other, means normally holding said parts in joined relation, and a length of flexible material having its end portions rigidly connected in parallel relation one to each of said parts, the points of anchorage being closely adjacent, when the said parts are in joined relation, to form said length of material into an elongated loop, the material of the loop being sufficiently ilexible to permit the loop to be twisted about its major axis through an angle 180 relative to the head.

6. A key holder for key cases which comprises a generally cylindrical head formed of rigid material, said head being divided longitudinally into two parts separable from each other, means normally holding said parts in joined relation, and a length of ilexible material having its ends anchored one to each of said parts, the points of anchorage being closely adjacent, when the said parts are in joined relation, to form the said length of material into an elongated loop, the material of the loop being sul'l'ioiently flexible to permit the loop to be twisted about its major axis through an angle of 180 relative to the head.

7. A key supporting device for key cases which comprises, a plurality of key holders each having an enlarged head and a key carrying loop of flexible material extending therefrom, said loops being sufficiently iiexible to permit a key carried thereby to be rotated at least 180 about the major axis of the loop, a support to which said heads are individually connected for independent movement relative to each other, and means for releasing the heads from the support.

GEORGE R. HAWES. 

